Antoine Gallimard

It’s a tradition. On the last day of the Frankfurt Book Fair—the world’s largest book fair—the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade is awarded. This anniversary year’s Peace Prize laureate is Salman Rushdie, an author who, like few others, embodies both the power of literature and the fury of its critics. Books stand for freedom of speech—a freedom that is repeatedly threatened around the world. This documentary embarks on a wild journey through time. It explores the new beginning after World War II, literature as a catalyst for democracy, and the interplay of intellect and commerce, as well as successes and scandals. It explores the remarkable role of émigrés after 1945, the protests of the 1960s, bestseller marketing and colonial misdeeds, calls for murder and boycotts, East and West, host countries that inspire and others that terrify.

The brilliant Czech writer Milan Kundera has not given an interview in thirty years; nor does he appear in public. How did he become a legendary author? What is so unique about his books?